How to become a mortician, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
Perform various tasks to arrange and direct individual funeral services, such as coordinating transportation of body to mortuary, interviewing family or other authorized person to arrange details, selecting pallbearers, aiding with the selection of officials for religious rites, and providing transportation for mourners.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree..Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
What morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers do
- Obtain information needed to complete legal documents, such as death certificates or burial permits.
- Contact cemeteries to schedule the opening and closing of graves.
- Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites.
- Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends.
- Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients.
- Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Mathematics
Is mortician, undertakers, and funeral arrangers a good career?
On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 8% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- Delaware $81,530
- Utah $72,800
- Illinois $69,600
- New Jersey $69,110
- Nebraska $64,310
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers salary by state and city
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.